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the maintenance of doctrine, worship, and discipline. The officers of the Church are the
representatives of the people chosen by popular vote. This does not mean, however, that they
receive their authority from the people, for the call of the people is but the confirmation of the
inner call by the Lord Himself; and it is from Him that they receive their authority and to Him
that they are responsible. When they are called representatives, this is merely an indication of
the fact that they were chosen to their office by the people, and does not imply that they
derive their authority from them. Hence they are no deputies or tools that merely serve to
carry out the wishes of the people, but rulers whose duty it is to apprehend and apply
intelligently the laws of Christ. At the same time they are in duty bound to recognize the power
vested in the Church as a whole by seeking its assent or consent in important matters.
5. THE POWER OF THE CHURCH RESIDES PRIMARILY IN THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE LOCAL
CHURCH.
It is one of the fundamental principles of Reformed or Presbyterian government, that
the power or authority of the Church does not reside first of all in the most general assembly of
any Church, and is only secondarily and by derivation from this assembly, vested in the
governing body of the local Church; but that it has its original seat in the consistory or session
of the local Church, and is by this transferred to the major assemblies, such as classes
(presbyteries) and synods or general assemblies. Thus the Reformed system honors the
autonomy of the local church, though it always regards this as subject to the limitations that
may be put upon it as the result of its association with other churches in one denomination,
and assures it the fullest right to govern its own internal affairs by means of its officers. At the
same time it also maintains the right and duty of the local church to unite with other similar
churches on a common confessional basis, and form a wider organization for doctrinal, judicial,
and administrative purposes, with proper stipulations of mutual obligations and rights. Such a
wider organization undoubtedly imposes certain limitations on the autonomy of the local
churches, but also promotes the growth and welfare of the churches, guarantees the rights of
the members of the Church, and serves to give fuller expression to the unity of the Church.
C. THE OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH.
Different kinds of officers may be distinguished in the Church. A very general distinction is that
between extraordinary and ordinary officers.
1. EXTRAORDINARY OFFICERS.
a. Apostles.
Strictly speaking, this name is applicable only to the Twelve chosen by Jesus and to
Paul; but it is also applied to certain apostolic men, who assisted Paul in his work, and who
were endowed with apostolic gifts and graces, Acts 14:4,14; I Cor. 9:5,6; II Cor. 8:23; Gal. 1:19
(?). The apostles had the special task of laying the foundation for the Church of all ages. It is